News Details

28/08/2017

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has directed for monitoring of Greater Peshawar Region Mass Transit Circular Railway Project on daily basis

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has directed for monitoring of Greater Peshawar Region Mass Transit Circular Railway Project on daily basis as the project has become part of CPEC and reflected in the minutes of JCC. He directed to finalize draft agreements for the project without wastage of time as the project would be taken to the JCC meeting for agreement in the month of November. It is the most feasible project that would connect five central districts of the province. He approved the third party evaluation for the prices indicated in the PC-I in order to make this project feasible in all respect. Chief Minister directed to form a committee of experts to look after the activities being undertaken under the project. He was presiding over a meeting on Greater Peshawar Region Mass Transit Circular Railway Project at Chief Minister Secretariat Peshawar. Provincial Minister Shahram Tarakai, Additional Chief Secretary Azam Khan and others attended. The participants of the meeting were briefed about the regional connectivity by the project adding that the already existing 34.43 Kilometer Railway Track from Peshawar to Nowshera would be upgraded. The existing railway track from Nowshera to Mardan (23.3 KM) and Mardan to Charsadda (36.1 KM) would also be upgraded. However, a 30 KM long new railway track from Charsadda to Peshawar would be laid down under the project. Chief Minister directed that the railway department and the Provincial Transport Department should prepare their own PC-Is that would be given one practical and final shape after consultation with both the departments. He said each department would determine its responsibility and would have to fulfill it adding that the Federal Minister Railway has already agreed to the use of existing track for the purpose. However, the provincial government would prepare a feasible proposal in order to avert any inefficiency in the services of rail communication and simultaneously the greater Peshawar region mass transit circular railway project is not obstructed. The participants were briefed about the progress on the project and informed that Pakistan Railway has already announced a committee in consultation with provincial government for technical help. The provincial government has also announced a core committee for the project. Both committees would work to fulfill the requirements and remove the hurdles in this regard. The Chinese company CCCC has been asked to open its office in Peshawar and the land acquisition process would be initiated for the Charsadda to Peshawar track. Pakistan Railway has been approached for the feasibility report and project cost revision, the participants were briefed. Pervez Khattak directed to finalize all arrangements to bring this project to the implementation phase without wastage of time. This project is being launched through investment. His government would neither take any loan nor would run it on subsidy, he added. The Chief Minister directed for reasonable and affordable fares for the commuters so that the project becomes a facility for the poor. Chief Minister was told that under the project, the provincial government would make two different agreements with Pakistan Railway and Chinese company. The Chief Minister directed for rapid working on finalizing the agreements stressing that the agreement with the railway should be finalized and concluded first, so that the project could be taken to China in November for agreement, he concluded. =====